Has anyone been able to lose weight without exercise?

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24

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  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    I have done so before. I could do so now, because the only reason I exercise is to get more calories that I can eat.
  • gwenette
    gwenette Posts: 39
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    I think everyone is different. I havent been able to exercise lately due to the hours i work, house work, and being a mom and wife. And before anyone says it I am not making excuses there is literally not enough hours in the day to do what has to be done!! With that said i have been losing the last week even though i haven't been exercising. Maybe not as fast but anything is better than nothing. Good luck
  • VanessaHeartsMasr
    VanessaHeartsMasr Posts: 727
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    I haven't, but my brother just lost 25 pounds in 2 months with no exercise! I'm jealous. Lol.
  • ardisia32
    ardisia32 Posts: 26 Member
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    I just finished reading Timothy Caulfield's The Cure for Everything...an excellent book, i highly recommend it. The science he presents shows that while exercise is great for fitness and overall health, it doesn't really contribute to weight-loss. Reducing calories is the key thing that seems to contribute to weight loss.
  • Rhia55
    Rhia55 Posts: 247
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    Yes, you can lose by diet alone.. but I am afraid that will result in sagging and looking even worse. I don't just want to lose weight, i want to tone up and become strong, and exercise is the only thing that will do that.

    And the rush I get from exercise is becoming quite addicting...
  • HeatherSanto
    HeatherSanto Posts: 138 Member
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    In my case, I tried it both ways. In the beginning of the year I tried to just limit calories and not exercise. Ended up with the scale moving, but my body wasn't changing and the numbers weren't going very fast. Then I tried exercising and not logging my food, just relying on having a rough guess. That didn't work either.

    When I logged on MFP and started working out 6 days a week the weight starts flying off. I think its good overall to get active. Walking is still an exercise and you are moving and that is the most important part.
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day is excellent! Nothing to scoff at.

    You can lose weight by simply creating a larger deficit without working out, but you will see a significant decrease in muscle mass as well as fat loss. The idea of exercise it to keep yourself fit, maintain muscle, maintain heart health and tell your body where to put what nutrients that you consume.

    Do your 30 minutes. Keep truckin' and best of luck.
  • TisMeEggin
    TisMeEggin Posts: 60 Member
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    Yes. And that is a VERY cute little critter pictured there BTW! Enjoy your time at the zoo. :flowerforyou:
  • hiker359
    hiker359 Posts: 577 Member
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    They say you can't out run a bad diet and I'm inclined to agree that 80% of your success depends on how you eat. Thirty minutes a day is a good amount of time to work out, so it's not like you're doing nothing. Anything more than what you did while you were gaining the weight is a step in the right direction. Look at your priorities, make adjustments where you can, and I'm sure you can find the time to work out more if you decide you need it.
  • lamilli09
    lamilli09 Posts: 354 Member
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    Yes - you can lose weight without exercise. You simply need to eat fewer calories than what your body is burning in a day.
    From personal experience, when I was overweight, simply eating appropriately was a great start - I was losing pounds like nobody's business.

    I would strongly encourage exercise at all points in your weight loss journey. But at a bare minimum, you'll want to start more exercise as you get close to approaching your goal weight --- unless you don't mind being flabby at your goal weight.

    Just my personal opinion!
  • emmalecras
    emmalecras Posts: 79 Member
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    I saw a dietician when I started and she said that it is 80% food and 20% exercise. So, yes, you can lose weight from changing your dietary habits.

    I generally only have time to exercise on the weekends (try and walk at least 5km or do stair climbing) but during the week I do have a 10 min walk to and from the carpark to my office plus I make sure that I get up and move during the day.

    Since January I have lost approximately 46kg.

    When I started out I thought that I would die if I exercised but now I really enjoy the walking with friends and amazed at the change in my fitness level. This has given me the strength to keep going to lose more and stay committed to finding and keeping the new me!!
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
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    ME! I just watch what I eat and stick to my calorie count that MFP assigned me. I walk the dogs occasionally but other than that I don't exercise at all. I do not have a desk job, however. I'm on my feet and walking A LOT during work. But on my days off I'm pretty sedentary.

    I'm not advocating not exercising. However, I have lost 15 pounds (my ticker says 10 but that's since I joined here) without exercising.
  • guardian419
    guardian419 Posts: 391 Member
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    You can slowly lose a little weight... it won't be dramatic, it certainly won't be easy, and it will be very very slow. Besides, do a forum search for 'skinny fat'... losing weight is 1 thing, being fit is way better (feels better too)
  • BigBrewski
    BigBrewski Posts: 922 Member
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    You have to find what works for you. I know people that lost weight with diet alone and I know people that lost weight with just exercise (not watching what they ate). For me I have to do both if I exercise and don't watch what I eat I stay steady on the scale, if I watch what I eat and don't exercise I seem to stay steady on the scale too (NOTE: I didn't try this for a long periord of time just 30 days)
  • ktrauzzi
    ktrauzzi Posts: 71 Member
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    I watched my calories and any exercise I did do I stopped counting. I was eating back the calories I burned and I usually gained. Most people say you can eat back 1/2 the calories. As a precaution, I just stopped using calories burned for eating. Walking is a great start for exercise and it'll just help you feel better to get out and go for a walk. But you can lose weight without.
  • karabff
    karabff Posts: 98
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    My bff has lost 109 pds (about 1 1/2 yr) without exercise-normal activites for her-but she watched everything that went into her mouth-she is just now beginning an exercise program of walking lite weights so yes it can be done -it is my personal belief from my own experiences that you can lose weight it just comes off slower an you wont be toned
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
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    Yes, it is completely possible to lose weight without exercising. Many people do!

    Weight loss happens when your calories consumed are less than the calories that you burn. You burn between 1,500 - 2,500 calories a day (depending on your age, sex, weight, how active you are, etc) just by breathing, so as long as you eat less than you burn, you will lose weight.

    The only problem is, if you only lose weight by eating well and NOT exercising, you will lose muscle as well as fat. In order to keep your muscle and only lose fat, you will have to exercise, unfortunately.

    if you lose weight without exercising, you may find that when you get to your goal weight, you are still very unhappy with the way you look. You will still be flabby, wobbly, and not firm, taut or toned. If you want to be toned and fit as well as have less fat on you, you must exercise.

    This is what my mum doesn't understand - she's only 120lbs, but she's got absolutely no muscle, because she doesn't exercise. So she is flabby and wobbly, and she thinks she has to 'lose weight' when really, she doesn't need to lose any weight; she needs to tone up.

    It's really up to you. If you lose weight without exercising and then when you get to your goal weight you're still unhappy, you may want to think about starting strength training.
  • shnookie70
    shnookie70 Posts: 91 Member
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    As long as you are walking so that your heartrate is in the fat burning zone you are doing enough. And 30 minutes a day is great!
  • pelles
    pelles Posts: 32 Member
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    Walking and reduced calories will enable weight loss. I highly recommend getting a Fitbit so you can see distance, steps & stairs. It links to MFP, so it's two great worlds combined.
  • Tall_E
    Tall_E Posts: 182 Member
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    I've got a chronic illness that limits my exercise. I eat about 1400 calories a day and walk 30 minutes most days. I've lost 30 pounds. As I've lost weight, I can feel that soon I'll be able to do more exercise which will help the overall tone of my body but I doubt it will affect how much I weigh since I control that mostly with diet.

    YOU CAN DO IT!

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